which portable punchy practice cab?

shpongley · #1 12-26-2010, 12:13 AM

kind of long post..
understanding all this has been searched a million times, im looking for some tailored advice. got a carvin bx500 and i love it, but with my bass (modded mtd kingston 4string passive) it puts out some seriously bright and grindy tone (love the tube pre). its also louder than i thought, so im looking to downsize to as small and light of a 1x12 or 2x10 etc as i can. id love to be able to turn it up past 1 for practicing, but also pump some volume in if needed (power trio practice and small gigs), that would ideally get some nice chest punch. so, ive been looking at the g-k neo 112-II, used mesa scout 112 (diff. ballpark i know), also avatar. ideally id like:
-$350 or less (looking used too)
-volume needs apparently pretty low
-1x12 or 2x10 (thought about 1x10 but only for dorm practice)
-ability to balance/round out the grindy/bright juice coming in w/ some thump and presence to get a nice meaty growl
-again, not looking for sensitivity, more that it can be quiet, but also take what the bx500 can give to open it up when need be
-also, has to fit in my guitarists 2-door so the g-k dimensions are looking nice (24x15x16)
-weight not a big issue
-1 cab solution!

so is the g-k already pretty raw in itself? seems the sb112 is a lil darker than the b210, and yes, there are a million nice cabs out there but cant really try much and not looking for crazy hifi/audiophile rigs.
any advice would be much appreciated!

JimmyM · #2 12-26-2010, 01:07 AM

yeah, you're right. there are a million cabs out there that can do it. if you don't mind not having a tweeter, can deal with 200w power handling real world, and you like the sound of ampeg 810's, i just got their svt 210av cab and it's great and it's less than your price range. if not, that narrows your choices to only 999,999

lot of good stuff out there. shouldn't take you long to find something. but the 210 av does deliver big for not a lot of money.

shpongley · #3 12-26-2010, 11:32 AM

cool, thats kind of what i figured just didnt know if anything particular might pop up that would meet my amps brightness and growl with a bit of a punchy pillowness to = thick beefy goodness. granted anything would probably be better than the black widow in a badly tuned box im running now. thanks for the svt tip!

**bass4worship** · #4 12-26-2010, 03:43 PM

I been using a old Trace 65 watts 110 combo and I must say it works for rehearsal.

impactwrench · #5 12-27-2010, 11:20 AM

I just got a used Peavey Tour 210 at GC for next to nothing. Throw that one on your list, as its discontinued and cheap used. I think it sounds at least as good as my avatar B210. you may want to lean towards a 210 as you may blow a 112 (the avatar) sooner or later if not careful. I did, and that was with a 400RB-III. I did like the tone from a single 12 better though. Also consider a smaller 212 like the GK 212MBE, but you may need to insulate the cab.

Edit: Just a thought, go balls out and have a 12/6 built and use it for gigs too.

TylerDurdenPSSC · #6 12-27-2010, 11:34 AM

If you can check out an Ampeg Portabass cab, go for it. I loved mine, it was amazingly tight and punchy. Didn't fart out until you drop down to an A. Now that I'm trying to go back smaller, I regret ever having sold it, haha.

Ripley · #7 12-27-2010, 12:20 PM

The GK 210MBE is a nice lightweight cab for approx. $300.

insomniac2295 · #8 12-27-2010, 12:21 PM

+1 for the Ampeg SVT210 AV

Also, the Avatar B210 Neo is always a great choice

randyg · #9 12-27-2010, 12:26 PM

I have an Avatar 1-12 non neo powered by a Little Mark III. Have not used it at a gig , but at practice it keeps up just fine with 2 guitars , drummer & a harp through the pa.

jeff7bass · #10 12-27-2010, 01:16 PM

For what you described, I'd get the Avatar SB112 NEO. Plenty of squat, enough for small gigs and rehearsals if needed.

jeff7bass · #11 12-27-2010, 03:41 PM

Oh my. Carvin’s selling their BR210 (8 or 4 ohms) at the ridiculously low price of 199.00 bucks.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/specials/

Scroll down.

shpongley · #12 12-27-2010, 04:13 PM

thanks for all the replies! ill add the ampeg portabass to the list. i guess the sb112 is looking like a top contender but i dont want to blow it at a gig...not sure-right now im playing through a peavey bw 1505 in a wrong box and its LOUD (and thin) so maybe we play really quiet. are the carvin br series solid? ive only heard about the brx...
i also want to get a kp3 and get into some dubstep/djing type stuff, so im thinking good bass extension is also a factor. that said im thinking:
avatar sb112/b210, used scout 12, used acme low b-2, ampeg portabass/svt... guess ill just check out the classifieds for a while

edit: something lds is looking pretty tempting...

rhett · #13 12-27-2010, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ripley

The GK 210MBE is a nice lightweight cab for approx. $300.

+1

ninerfan · #14 12-27-2010, 04:26 PM

A 112 or 210 won't do what you're asking IMO, IME. I fried an Avatar 210 with my LMII at practice and we are only a 3 piece. You need a bigger cab. The only exception may be a Schroeder. A 1210 or 1212R may get you where you want to go. I ended up with an Epifani UL310 and have been happy.

shpongley · #15 12-27-2010, 04:45 PM

Hmm..ive seen alot of people say that on here, and i guess it depends on xmax or cone displacement more than watts? either way, i just know a 1x15 is way too loud right now, so maybe my head is too much, but id think i could just get a smaller cab...

Jim Campbell · #16 12-27-2010, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shpongley

kind of long post..
understanding all this has been searched a million times, im looking for some tailored advice. got a carvin bx500 and i love it, but with my bass (modded mtd kingston 4string passive) it puts out some seriously bright and grindy tone (love the tube pre). its also louder than i thought, so im looking to downsize to as small and light of a 1x12 or 2x10 etc as i can. id love to be able to turn it up past 1 for practicing, but also pump some volume in if needed (power trio practice and small gigs), that would ideally get some nice chest punch. so, ive been looking at the g-k neo 112-II, used mesa scout 112 (diff. ballpark i know), also avatar. ideally id like:
-$350 or less (looking used too)
-volume needs apparently pretty low
-1x12 or 2x10 (thought about 1x10 but only for dorm practice)
-ability to balance/round out the grindy/bright juice coming in w/ some thump and presence to get a nice meaty growl
-again, not looking for sensitivity, more that it can be quiet, but also take what the bx500 can give to open it up when need be
-also, has to fit in my guitarists 2-door so the g-k dimensions are looking nice (24x15x16)
-weight not a big issue
-1 cab solution!

so is the g-k already pretty raw in itself? seems the sb112 is a lil darker than the b210, and yes, there are a million nice cabs out there but cant really try much and not looking for crazy hifi/audiophile rigs.
any advice would be much appreciated!

whatever you choose it might be wise to find one that can work with your stage gear,or as a back up if you need it....

shpongley · #17 12-29-2010, 01:52 PM

So looks like Im getting the money together and should have an almost-new svt-210av come next week! I think this will work well-being as small and light as I could possibly wish for I can now practice in my dorm, rehearsal space, little bar gig, coffee shop...wherever. Volume was never really an issue, but anyone have thoughts about running my bx500 w/ 350W @8 ohms? Its only 200W handling, but I remember seeing someone on here with that setup, so ill just not crank it and should be fine..

jeff7bass · #18 12-29-2010, 02:22 PM

Get the Carvin BR210. 400w cab for 199.00 right now brand new. It's a good cab.

You'll be able to jack it up to rehearsal and small gig volumes with volume to spare. Even mid-sized gigs. It's fairly untouchable at this price, unless you go used.

JimmyM · #19 12-29-2010, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shpongley

So looks like Im getting the money together and should have an almost-new svt-210av come next week! I think this will work well-being as small and light as I could possibly wish for I can now practice in my dorm, rehearsal space, little bar gig, coffee shop...wherever. Volume was never really an issue, but anyone have thoughts about running my bx500 w/ 350W @8 ohms? Its only 200W handling, but I remember seeing someone on here with that setup, so ill just not crank it and should be fine..

correct. and unlike a lot of cab makers, ampeg's 200w power handling spec is pretty honest so you should get pretty close to 200w into it no problem if you really need it.

shpongley · #20 12-30-2010, 10:52 AM

Hmm...that carvin is so tempting, and then my rig would have a little synergy too haha. Thing is, its about the same size and weight as my cab now, which was what got my thinking about a new one! Portability is key, so hopefully the ampeg can deliver in other regards..Honestly 200 W should be fine, as I like to crank the tube pre on my amp, which gets it loouuudd anyways.